


Gone

by HornedQueenOfHell



Category: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Movies)
Genre: Auror Credence, Based on a song, But Graves adopts him first, Credence Barebone Deserves Better, Credence Barebone Learning Magic, F/M, Gellert Grindelwald Being an Asshole, M/M, Manipulative Gellert Grindelwald, Parent Newt Scamander, Protective Original Percival Graves, Queenie is a goddess, Tina loves Credence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-08
Updated: 2017-02-08
Packaged: 2018-09-22 21:15:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,562
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9625610
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HornedQueenOfHell/pseuds/HornedQueenOfHell
Summary: Despite all of Grindelwald's efforts Credence ends up happy.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Based on the song 'Gone' by Beth Crowley. Honestly so many of her songs fit Credence but I just really loved this one.
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3SpikQ3erXM

The truth is that Credence has known Percival Graves for years. He has watched from the shadows; seen as Mr. Graves pauses to magically catch a container of flowers before it can tumble off the cart, hidden a smile as the gentleman stops each child to take one flyer and hide it in his pocket so they can get out of the cold that much quicker. Percival Graves is a stern man, he does not give money to the orphans nor does he listen to the protests, but he does take the flyers most days. He never notices Credence. Mr. Graves is a witch, is the proof that his Ma is right about witches living among them. But seeing Mr. Graves give that little twitch of his lips when one of the little girls hugs Graves’ long legs after he takes her last flyer, he decides that she is wrong about witches.

He also decides that that decision has nothing to do with the massive crush he has on Mr. Graves.

Until one day Mr. Graves does notice him, he has so far ignored the other children which is curious, but he stops in front of Credence and the seventeen year old is too busy trying to remember how to breathe.

“And who are you, beautiful?” Credence wheezes but doesn’t answer. Mr. Graves arches an eyebrow and crosses his arms,

“I will not wait all day for you to find your voice boy.”

“C-Cr-Credence. My name is Credence.” Mr. Graves tucks a lock of hair behind his ear and gives him a secret smile.

“There now, that wasn’t so hard was it?” With a flirtatious wink Mr. Graves leaves and Credence collapses the second he’s gone, his legs have turned to jelly.

Mr. Graves doesn’t come to see him often but Credence will never forget Graves third visit. The wizard found him curled up in an alley, he’d been kicked out of the church for the night and was doing his best to not freeze to death. He heard the popping sound that meant Mr. Graves was near but he was so stiff he couldn’t even lift his head.

“Oh Cree.” Strong arms gather him up and Credence whimpers as his stiff muscles protest the sudden movement. He wants to tell Mr. Graves not to ruin his fine clothes by sitting in a dirty alley with him but he can barely form words through his chattering teeth.

“M-m-mis-t-t-er G-gr-avesss”

“Shh my boy, you’re alright.” Mr. Graves voice is not as warm as his embrace but Credence could care less. “Would you like me to tell you a secret?”

Credence nods, he can almost bend his fingers again. Mr. Graves lets his fingers trail over the back of Credence’s hand and holds it in his flipping their hands palm up. A small flame appears in Credence’s palm warm and bright. It’s beautiful.

“You have magic Credence. I can feel it in your blood.” A shock ran through his body and he felt numb all over again. 

“Me?” He squeaked. If Ma found out he had magic...

“...dence? Credence!” There was a sharp pain in his cheek and tears streaming down his face but he knew where he was at least.

“Merlin’s beard boy I thought you were about to die on me! You were jerking around and your eyes rolled back in your head!”

“M’sorry Mr. Graves.” The man’s face twisted for a moment but Credence couldn’t really catch his expression before his face smoothed out. 

“I was worried about you Credence, I thought you’d been hurt.” Gloved fingers stroked his cheek.

“Sorry.”

“Stop apologizing.”

“So-” Credence settled for clearing his throat instead of apologizing again. Mr. Graves gave him that soft look again and whispered against his jaw line.

“Would you like me to teach you?”

“T-teach me? You mean magic?!” Credence scrambled to his feet and threw his back against the wall. Mr. Graves pinned him too the wall, so close, too close.

“What would you do Credence? What would you give to get away from that church, to have power of your very own?” Power? To stand up to those that treated him like garbage. To learn magic. To protect Modesty.

“Anything.” Credence breathed desperately; Mr Graves smirked, Credence could feel the man’s lips brushing his ear.

“Anything?” A strong hand roamed over his ribs drifting down his waist, Credence felt a trail of fire in the wake of his touch. Daring to glance up into Mr. Graves eyes for a moment Credence responded,

“Anything.” The mans chuckle made his knees weak again.

“I will keep that in mind precious boy.” And with that Mr. Graves disappeared. The next day he began to speak about a child.

~o~o~

Credence’s life was dissolving faster than his body, the sand-like tendrils shoving through his skin like the most painful shield ever. Modesty’s fear of him stung, perhaps even more than Mr. Graves hitting him or his betrayal. Everything just piled up one after the other and Credence was so weary of constantly being in control. The thought of Mr. Graves hurting Modesty the same way he’d been hurt snapped the last thread inside him. 

The obscurus fed off his pain and anger, together they dove through the city destroying buildings, streets, and cars. He wanted to lash out and hurt the way he’d been hurt, he wanted to find a safe place to cry. Witches followed him everywhere he went, worst of all Mr. Graves.

There was another witch there though, his voice was soothing and his words were pretty. But so were Mr. Graves’. This new witch though, he had a name for Credence, obscurus. Said there were others like him, he was not alone. He slid down the wall and felt himself become slightly more grounded, more corporeal. And then Graves reappeared.

The pain was too much, everything hurt so much he just wanted it to end. So he did. He let himself fade into wisps but a small piece of him tugged at the corner of his mind. The kind witch knew Miss Goldstein, he remembered her ‘hitting’ Ma. The obscurial in him ate away at the memory charm letting him remember the truly impressive hex Tina had unleashed on Ma. He couldn’t believe he’d forgotten that, that she’d stood up for him.

Once he was sure the kind witch had seen him he crawled away to sleep, he was so tired now. 

The kinds witch found him and carried him somewhere warm, when he woke he was covered in small balls of fluff, Puffskeins he would later learn. Before he’d realized it he was smiling, the shock of that was almost too much and tears spilled over. He must have looked a mess when the kind witch, Newt, found him. 

“They like you.” He smiled. His smile was fragile and fell soon, Credence reached out and grabbed the edge of his sleeve giving it a light tug, he wasn’t good with his words yet.

“They found Percival Graves, the real one.”

_My greatest love is gone_  
_He might as well have died_  
_An impostor wears his face_  
_One I barely recognize_  
_And something burns inside of me_  
_Anger eats me alive_  
_But lock us both up in a cage_  
_I’m the one who will survive_  


_So are you happy now_  
_You got exactly what you wanted_  
_You try to bring me down_  
_Destroy me piece by piece_  
_But I have made a vow_  
_I won’t live the life you made me choose_  
_We’re players in a game that I don’t intend to lose_  


He knew Newt was worried about him visiting Percival Graves in the hospital but he needed to, he needed the closure.

The man on the bed looked both everything and nothing like the man who’d spoken to him. Graves was thin and malnourished, his hair had grown out but was also shorn off in chunks where Grindelwald had taken it for his potions. Credence was still wrapping his mind around all the things magic could do. The wizard’s, for now he knew the difference, breath was even; they’d been able to heal most of the damage but some of his wounds had been infected and those scarred over.

Credence studied Graves hand, tracing the bones and tendons while he pondered how such a powerful wizard could go missing for almost two months and no one noticed.

He hears footsteps approach and lets the obscurus crawl to the surface of his skin to hide him in the shadows.

It’s just Tina though. She sits at his side, in the chair Credence just abandoned.

“I’m so sorry, so sorry I didn’t notice. If I hadn’t been so hot headed you wouldn’t have moved me to Wand Permits, I could have done something.” He watches her chew on her lip before looking over her shoulder, perhaps she senses Credence’s eyes on her.

“That boy from the church, Credence, you would like him. He’s the kind of lost soul you love to adopt, he reminds me of you when you were younger.” She giggles at her own thought, “I hope you get to meet him soon,” then she hesitates, “actually that might not be a good idea. Grindelwald really hurt him but it’s you he saw.” She sighs and lets her head fall into her hands,  
“I don’t know what to do about him. Newt can only teach him so much but he’s too old for school, I wish you’d wake up Mr. Graves, you’d know what to do.

And with that she leaves.

Credence slides back down to ground reforming his body, instead of going back to the chair though this time he sits on the bed.

“She’s wrong you know.” He murmurs reaching out to brush a lock of unwashed hair from Graves face, “I would like to meet you, the real you. I’ve been dreaming about you for months and in many ways I’m glad it was only Grindelwald who ever spoke to me; it means I can keep you just as the sweet, kind man who took flyers to help the other children.” Credence lifted Graves’ hand gently and kissed the older man’s knuckles softly. 

After making sure Graves was tucked in Credence dissolved and flew through the window, it was time for bed. What he didn’t know is if he’d stayed a few minutes more he’d have caught the fluttering of Graves’ eyelashes.

o~o

“How did you get in here?” Credence turned to the familiar voice he’d never heard before, Ms. Goldstein’s chair squeaked as he spun around.

“I-I a... I” Credence tried to stutter his way through a response but he was so not ready to confront Mr. Graves yet. The man just arched a brow and sighed.

“Look kid, I don’t know how or why you’re here but this is a private floor, let me take you dow-”

“I’m Mr. Scamander’s assistant!” Credence blurted out. Graves arched a brow in curiosity before the realization slapped him in the face, he looked from Credence to Tina’s desk to the door.

“Seriously Miss Goldstein!” He sighed at the door as if it was her, “You couldn’t do better than that.”

“Mr. Scamander is a great man.” Credence protested, Mr. Graves nodded.

“I am aware of his ... talents, I am also aware that he is in violation of a number of our laws here in the states. If you are close to both of them I can assume that makes you Credence.” Credence nodded and Mr. Graves held out a hand.

“Percival Graves, pleasure to finally make your acquaintance.” After a moment of trembling Credence finally folded his hand into Graves, it was warm and rough and wonderful.

“Likewise” Credence responded with a small smile.

Mr. Graves cleared his throat gruffly and fidgeted with his wand,

“If you would like I have a couch in my office that would likely be more comfortable to wait in than in Miss Goldsteins chair.” Credence was floored and was sure he was gaping unattractively. Graves’ fidgeting got worse the longer Credence stayed silent, finally he turned on his heel with a small sigh and began to walk away. He knew approaching the boy was likely a mistake, then he felt something catch his sleeve,

“I’d like that a lot Mr. Graves.”

Credence began to appear in Graves’ office almost daily after that either with Newt or sometimes his obscurial would just slide in under the door and make itself comfy in the shadows. It was the obscurus in the room when Graves received word that Grindelwald had escaped. As soon as the door had closed behind the Auror who had delivered the report the Obscurus snarled and swirled around the room in a rage eventually settling around Graves like a protective shield.

_My greatest love is gone_  
_You took him far away_  
_He sits right next to me_  
_But he’ll never be the same_  
_You thief you found my weakness_  
_And you went on the attack_  
_But look over your shoulder_  
_See my target on your back_  


_So are you happy now_  
_You got exactly what you wanted_  
_You try to bring me down_  
_Destroy me piece by piece_  
_But I have made a vow_  
_I won’t live the life you made me choose_  
_We’re players in a game that I don’t intend to lose_  


“Expecto Patronum!” Silvery light flowed from Credence’s wand and took to the sky in the shape of a phoenix. The majestic bird flapped twice and then dissipated into the stars. Credence smiled as Newt whooped beside him. Percival clapped him on the shoulder and smiled brightly,

“Well done Cree.” The man blushed but leaned into the touch, Percival took notice and hauled him into a full one armed hug. Credence had become much more familiar with being touched affectionately these past few years. He had quite the family now; Queenie and Jacob who had been secretly married in London, Newt and Tina who were expecting their first child, and Percival who taught Credence how to become an Auror. Their love and support had changed Credence inside and out. Newt couldn’t remove the obscurus from Credence without it ending his life but now that Credence had an outlet for his magic he learned how to control the obscurus and in a way work with it. He’d outgrown his crush on Percival but in many ways he did still love the man, he only hoped someday he’d find a partner who was half the man Graves was. So many parts of Credence’s life had been taken from him but now he was in charge of his life, his destiny and he planned to change not only his life but the lives of as many as he could. Yes Grindelwald still haunted him but the madman was locked away while Credence achieved something he couldn’t dare to dream about before. He was happy.

_Fight or flight_  
_Was the decision ever mine?_  
_It was never mine_  


_So are you happy now_  
_You got exactly what you wanted_  
_You try to bring me down_  
_Destroy me piece by piece_  
_But I have made a vow_  
_I won’t live the life you made me choose_  
_We’re players in a game that I don’t intend to lose_  
_We’re players in a game that I don’t intend to lose_  



End file.
